The partner of a missing diver was waiting on the harbour during the search for her off the Northumberland coast.

Sadly, the woman, thought to have been a 50-year-old swimming instructor, died shortly after being found and pulled from the sea.

The diver, who has not yet been named, disappeared after surfacing just after 11am on Sunday while diving near the Farne Islands.

A search and rescue operation was mounted by the coastguard including helicopters and lifeboats - with sirens prompting the woman’s partner to ask what was happening as he walked dogs near the harbour, an RNLI manager said.

The woman, who was with a group of divers from Ormskirk, Lancashire, was found just before 2pm near to where she was last seen at Longstone Island.

She was pulled from the water before receiving aid, but died a short time later.

Preparation for the new season on the Farne Islands

Ian Clayton, lifeboat operations manager at Seahouses RNLI, said he understood the woman was “approximately 50” and added that he believed she had been a swimming instructor.

He said it was “very harrowing” because the woman’s partner was near the harbour when the rescue operation was launched.

Mr Clayton said: “He heard the sirens go off at the lifeboat station, and he came down to see what was happening.

“And he was then told that obviously the lifeboat’s launching to go to the assistance of a boat that’s reported a diver missing.

“And that was his partner, and he didn’t know obviously at that immediate time that it was definitely his partner.”

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Mr Clayton said it had been the first weekend of the diving season, and added: “There can be no criticism directed to the boat operator or boat skipper. What happened was obviously some sort of accident that’s happened whilst the lady’s been in the water.

“We are unsure how this tragedy occurred, but our thoughts are very much with the deceased lady’s partner, friends and dive colleagues.

“She had come from a party of divers from Ormskirk. Northumbria Police are now conducting inquiries, which will be referred to the coroner. This was a very harrowing incident for all concerned.”

The woman had been part of a group diving from a dive charter boat operating out of Seahouses.

The boat reported her missing and coastguard rescue teams from Holy Island and Seahouses carried out a search from high ground, with lifeboat crews from Seahouses, Berwick and Craster joining in the search from the water.

Police and paramedics were also on the scene at Seahouses harbour, with the search operation stood down shortly after the woman was recovered by a passenger vessel.

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She was then transferred to Seahouses lifeboat, which brought her back to shore where ambulance crews and the air ambulance were waiting. She was then pronounced dead.

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: “The coastguard launched a search of the area and at 2.30pm the diver was located. She received medical attention at the scene but unfortunately passed away a short time later.”

The Farne Islands are a rocky outcrop of islands, lying two or three miles off the Northumberland coast, which are home to many types of seabird, including puffins and Atlantic grey seals.

The islands can only be reached by boat from the Northumberland coast.